Corinne Bramwell

Introduction

Corinne specialises in criminal law. She defends and prosecutes and is ranked as a leading individual for crime in the current editions of Legal 500 and Chambers UK. Corinne also has expertise in extradition law, regulatory law, and professional discipline.

Background and expertise

Corinne’s criminal law practice includes murder, sexual offences, complex fraud, money-laundering, organised crime, and sophisticated drug conspiracies including cases involving “Encrochat” arising out of Operation Venetic. She is proficient conducting sexual offence trials, particularly those involving pre-recorded cross-examination (S28) of young or vulnerable witnesses.

Corinne is an appointed member of the Crown Prosecution Service’s prosecution panel (grade 4) and the Serious Fraud Office prosecution panel (level B). She is also an appointed member of the CPS specialist advocate panels for counter terrorism, serious crime, fraud and RASSO.

Corinne is an experienced extradition practitioner and has represented both individuals and foreign governments. She is an appointed member of the CPS specialist advocate panel for extradition.

Corinne has appeared before the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the General Medical Council, representing both professionals and regulators in regulatory and professional disciplinary proceedings.

CURRENT AND ONGOING CASES

R v MS and R

Murder

R v R and P

Possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life

COMPLEX FINANCIAL CRIME

R v C and 5 others, 2021

Prosecution Counsel (leading) – Six defendants, convicted following trial, of conspiracies to commit fraud on bookmakers (valued at around £1.7m) and associated conspiracies to launder the proceeds.

See Daily Mail here

R v K and 12 others, 2019

Prosecution Counsel (Led) - Nine defendants convicted of a £34-million, sophisticated Missing Trader Intra Community fraud (MTIC) and associated money-laundering enterprise following a 6-month trial at Southwark Crown Court. Instructed by HMRC/CPS.

See BBC article

R v D and others, 2019

10-day contested confiscation hearing pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act for £5-million Gift Aid fraud and multi-jurisdiction money laundering. The case involved multiple sources of evidence obtained from abroad using the International Letter of Request (ILOR) scheme.

News report here

R v M and M, 2017

£50-million, three-defendant fraud prosecuted by HMRC and the CPS. The case involved complex legal argument on the issue of ‘double jeopardy’ pursuant to Article 54 of the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement including expert evidence from a Professor of Italian law.

See Daily Mail article

See Court News UK article

See The Guardian article

SERIOUS SEXUAL OFFENCES

R v F, 2022

Prosecution Counsel – defendant sentenced to 20 years for a campaign of rape against a child following a finding of ‘dangerousness’.

R v DN, 2021

Prosecution Counsel – defendant convicted of sexual activity with a child and sexual assault.

News report here.

A second report here.

R v H, 2020

Prosecution Counsel – defendant convicted of attempted rape

R v N, 2019

Prosecution counsel – prosecuted an Imperial College, London medical student accused of the rape of a fellow medical student following a student house party where both students admitted to having been intoxicated.

R v F, 2018

Defence counsel - client acquitted, following a 5-day trial, of allegations of sexually assaulting a former sexual partner.

R v N, 2018

Prosecution counsel – defendant convicted, following an 11-day trial, of historical sexual offences committed 39 years ago against a familial child aged 11. The case involved contested expert evidence from chartered clinical psychologists on ‘false memory syndrome’.

SERIOUS CRIME

R v R, 2021

Prosecution Counsel- Following a fatal collision in May 2018, the driver and the passenger were convicted of causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving and aiding and abetting causing death and serious injury by dangerous driving respectively. Both defendants received immediate custodial sentences.

See The Telegraph news report here.

See The Daily Mail news report here.

See ITV news report here.

See BBC news report here.

R v H and 3 others, 2021

Prosecution Counsel (led) – secured the conviction, following a 11-week trial, of four defendants for the murder and manslaughter of a member of a rival county-line drugs organisation. BBC news stories here and here; Welwyn and Hatfield Times, here.

R v L, R and C, 2020

Prosecution Counsel (leading) - three defendants convicted of conspiracy to procure a miscarriage by administering a poison following a highly sensitive and complex, 6-week trial before a High Court Judge. The trial involved complex legal issues in respect of the legal definition of ‘miscarriage’, and whether the mother was a ‘victim’ and therefore could not be a party to the conspiracy.

See Daily Mail article

R v S and C, 2020

Defence Counsel – represented an 18-year-old accused of possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition without a certificate

R v D, 2019

Defence Counsel - represented man accused of armed robbery of a Ladbrokes betting shop.

R v H, 2018

Defence counsel - client acquitted following a 7-day trial for offences of assault and false imprisonment. The trial involved contested expert evidence on blood spatter.

R v Z and C, 2018

Prosecution counsel – father and step-mother convicted of offences of child cruelty and assault, following a 9-day trial. In her sentencing remarks the Judge found “repeated, sustained isolation”, the child “was treated like an animal”. The defendants’ received sentences of 39 months and 28 months imprisonment respectively.

COURT MARTIAL

R v K, 2017

Represented client accused of multiple counts of familial rape of a child under 13 years.

R v R and other, 2015

Represented client accused of assault.

EXTRADITION

Romania v P, 2020

Commercial-scale theft of electrical cable

Ireland v J, 2019

42 serious sexual offences including multiple allegations of rape.

N v Poland, 2019

Burglary offences.

PROFESSIONAL DISCIPLINE

NMC v C, 2016

Poor midwifery practices following neonatal deaths.

GMC v C, 2015

Dishonesty convictions

APPELLATE WORK

R v M, 2017

Successful appeal concerning the operation of Article 54 of the Convention Implementing the Schengen Agreement ne bis in idem principle of ‘double jeopardy’ based on previous criminal proceedings in Italy - led by Tim Owen QC and David Hughes.

Professional commentary and attributiON

“A junior with a razor-sharp intellect. She instantly makes an impression on clients, opponents and judges, and is always prepared to go the extra mile to deliver the right result.” (Legal 500, 2021)

"A junior of superb mental dexterity who has a real presence about her in court." (Chambers UK, 2021)

"A thorough junior with a keen eye for detail" (Legal 500, 2020)

“Ms Bramwell is a great communicator and is meticulous and professional in her approach.”

“ … an understated but firm approach - it was exactly the right tone and I was very impressed. She showed both judgement and style beyond her call throughout.”

“Her mitigation was absolutely superb. She presented it beautifully and concisely … It was a model of mitigation advocacy and she is obviously an extremely talented member of the Bar ...”

“I found her conduct in the trial to be exemplary, including her manner with witnesses. She combined a sensitivity with a robust approach where it was needed. Ms Bramwell was in control of the proceedings …”

“When cross examining the defendant Corinne exposed the flaws in his account. It was done in her typically understated yet highly effective way. She has a lovely manner in court which engages both judge and jury - one trusts her.”